Wearing a sleep apnea mask?

[SirReal63]

I have one, don't wear it any more. The sleep study was a joke for me. They had about 30 wires plugged into me, no way I could sleep even with the mask trying to shove air into my body. Very movement caused the wires to tug atmy skin. It was one of the worst nights i ever spent, and then they wanted to make a diagnosis based on flawed results and telling me how bad my case was. Trying to explain that the testing environment created the poor sleep had zero effect. The second sleep study didn't involve the 30 wires but wasn't much better. The CPAP machine I brought home was much more user friendly then what the hospital had. It does not feel like an air compressor trying to inflate me to 45 psi.

I quit wearing it because it made no difference to how I felt and often the mask slipping would wake me up. I may try it again but I may not. I know some people swear by them, but for me it didn't really help a lot.

 

[RichZ]

Alan, I was diagnosed with sleep apnea almost 20 years ago. Like you, I thought that I would never fall asleep, but I did. The apnea makes you tired enough that you will sleep some, even under those conditions. The vivid dreams with the CPAP only last a few days with most people. I had the same symptoms as you, and the CPAP fixed them.

Good luck!!!

 

[Bird]

I wish you luck, Alan. It'll be an interesting new experience at least. It's not easy to sleep well with all those wires, but it can be done. I had to try to sleep that one night, and the guy doing the study confirmed that I did have sleep apnea. A week later it was back to the same place to go another night, but the second time using a CPAP device. The first night was a man who "looked" young, but he said he wouldn't be there for the second time because he would be in Tennessee for his daughter's wedding. So the young lady who did the one with a CPAP device was nice enough, but she was moving back to Virginia that weekend, so I don't think she was too interested. She tried 2 different CPAP mask styles (I still have both) and I suppose she got the right results anyway. But when I went to pick up the CPAP device that my doctor ordered, I got an entirely different mask, and much better than either one used in the "study". There are an incredible number of different mask types or styles.

So I've now been using mine every night for nearly 3 months. When I started, I immediately started sleeping better and not getting up in the night to go to the bathroom. But lately, I go to bed, sleep well 4 to 5 hours, wake up, look at the clock, then doze off and on another 3 or 4 hours. I don't really know why, but perhaps just a lot on my mind of things going on in the family right now. I do feel better in the mornings, but sure run out of steam early in the afternoon, but of course that may be just due to age.:laughing:

The CPAP machine I brought home was much more user friendly then what the hospital had. It does not feel like an air compressor trying to inflate me to 45 psi.

If there is anyone who isn't already aware of it, your doctor prescribes the pressure after the study; the CPAP device can be set from 4 to 20 cm h2o. Mine is set at 11. If you move it away from your face, or feel the exhaust, it seems like a lot of air, but when it's fitted on my face properly, it's quite comfortable.

 

[TMR]

My wife got a CPAP about 6 months ago. She has slept MUCH better and has felt quite good. Sleep apnea can contribute to a number of "issues"...in my wife's case she has some heart fibrillation that can be worsened by sleep apnea. Also she snored quite badly and had "gasps" for air occasionally. She adapted well and biggest complaint are the lines in the AM from the mask. She would not be w/o the CPAP. FWIW...Tom R

 

[downsizingnow48]

Alan good luck. The testing and initial use was awkward for me too. But it was worth it to hang in, made a huge difference in my life. From tired all the time and napping twice daily to normal.

 

[SpringHollow]

I finally left my sleep study at 4 AM saying I had only slept for a few minutes. I was quite surprised to see that I had slept something like 1/2 of the time. When we wake up, our brain picks up our thoughts from where we left off making it feel like we never slept. CPAP can reduce health risks even if you do not feel more energetic in the morning. In my case, I do not feel more rested but my oxygen levels are much better while sleeping and I do not wake up nearly as much (per subsequent sleep studies).

Ken

 

[Alan L.]

My study will be what they call a split study. The first few hours will be diagnoses, and if I have sleep apnea they will "treat" me by trying out the masks I guess the second part of the night. The lady said if I don't go off to sleep by 10:00 I will have to come back again for the second phase. So, with the pressure to get to sleep that will make it probably impossible. If I have something important the next day and need to get up earlier, which means I need to get to sleep, that usually means I won't sleep at all.

 

[BobRip]

Looks like I may be next in line. I am scheduled for a sleep study Wednesday night 7/16. I had an in home study where I wore a clip on my finger that recorded pulse and oxygen levels. The results were that my oxgen got as low as 85 and pulse 42. My doc seemed more concerned about the pulse so he order a 24 hear monitor and set me an appointment with my cardiologist. The monitor results weren't in when I went to see the cardiologist but he was not concerned about the pulse at all, said it is pretty normal during sleep. But did say I should get the full blown sleep study.

For about 2 years I have just not felt good, mostly I tired and weak, sometimes sleepy. I know I snore some, but not that much. My biggest problem is that I act out dreams. My wife says I holler and kick and punch her. One night was was dreaming I was running a race and actually got out of bed and ran smack into a window and bloodied my nose and put a knot on my head. Once before I was crawling around on the floor and ran my face into a night stand. Pretty scary.....

Those of you reporting vivid dreams with the CPAP kind of scares me...vivid dreams are part of my problem. The doc says lack of oxygen to the brain can cause the episodes. I read where people that act out dreams are more likely to end up with Parkinsons or Alzheimers. I hope it is "just" sleep apnea that can be controlled.

I am little bit leary of the test, I doubt seriously that I will be able to get off to sleep without some major sleep medication. Somehow trying to go to sleep in the hospital when I'n not sick and people are watching me does not lend itself to relaxation.

Given the way I have felt one test less than a year ago was an ultra sound that found a tennis ball size solid tumor on my kidney. Figured that had been my problem all along - they took out my kidney and fortunately the tumor was benign. So after a full recovery we are now back on the original quest to figure out why I have not felt up to snuff. Hope this sleep study does something good for me.

I had a time getting to sleep on my first test. They are now authorized to give a sleep medication at the clinic I went to. I took my own Tylenol PM. But yes take something. It is hard to sleep with all of the wires and stuff. I pulled mine loose a couple of times. Good luck with the test.

 

[Bird]

If I have something important the next day and need to get up earlier, which means I need to get to sleep, that usually means I won't sleep at all.

I've always had that same problem.:laughing: But I didn't do the split thing; hadn't heard of that. I went in at 9 p.m., probably got to bed after paperwork, hooking up wires, etc. around 10 p.m. and the guy woke me at 5 a.m. and I was out of there before 6 a.m. But he told me I had "moderate to severe" apnea and the doctor would send me back for the treatment phase, so he asked if I wanted to go ahead and make the appointment for that phase a week later and I did that.

For that second phase, the young lady told me something I already knew. "You tossed and turned all night." She came in once during the night to re-adjust the mask, then a second time to try the full face mask, and then when she woke me around 5 a.m., like Ken (SpringHollow) above, I thought I'd only been asleep a few minutes and that she was giving up.:laughing:

 

[jpm1]

I drive tractor trailer delivering building material. Im home every night. My Last DOT physical sent me to the sleep lab twice. I was diagnosed with sleep apnea the end of May and had this machine since June 12th. Well for some dumb reason my body only requires about 4 hours a sleep a night. The PA doing the physical thought something was really wrong with that. At the sleep lab i did not snore did not wake up tired nor groggy in the morning. But at 3:30 am, Im wired and ready to go. They said i woke up 24 times an hour, sat up, looked around then i went back to sleep.Since having the machine i have actually slept 4 nights the rest is just stare at the ceiling waiting to get my 4 hours in. I hate the machine completely. My wife has very severe Alzheimer's and it scares her to pieces. so i have to wait for her to fall asleep then i go to bed. The Doctors said i had to get at least 8 hours on the machine to remain qualified to drive. Well i only need 4. I just cant take it any longer. Ive been back to the place where the machine come from 2 times now. They said i'll get use to it eventually.
This is a case of Governmental Dictatorship! B.S. I drive heavy truck during the day, cut wood usually to 10 oclock every night or do welding on the side and do custom hauling some weekends. Anything to pay the bills. This machine is actually making me feel worse because of not sleeping. But because i need a DOT physical card to keep my job, im tied to this ?!@@*!!!! machine. Sorry if i ranted and raved to much but in this case the government is infringing on my rights :banghead: John